Sprinkler head



July 22 1924. V 1,502,187

J. w. GRONROS SPRINKLER HEAD Filed March 31. 1920 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 22, 1924.

barren stares PATENT series.

ZfOI-IN W. GRONIZOS, OF BRONX,NEH-YOEK.

SPRINKLER HEAD.

Application filed March 31, 1920. Serial No. 370,112,

extinguishers, and more particularly to sprinklersthe valves of which are held closed by fusible locks.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the sprinkler head valves are quickly released by a small flame thereby preventing a fire from gaining dangerous and damaging progress.

Another object is to provide simple, safe and efficient valve locking means, fusible at low temperature to release the sprinkler head valves immediately a fire is started.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a sprinkler head with this improved extinguisher shown applied, parts being in section.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on.

the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section.

In the embodiment illustrated, a water supply pipe P is shown which is charged with water under pressure in the usual and well known manner. Usually a plurality of such pipes is arranged in parallel rela tion, a suitable distance apart and supported by suitable hangers to the ceiling or other part of the building to be protected against confiagration. This supply pipe P is provided with discharge nozzles N one of which only is here shown and which are normally held closed by suitable valves V re-. tained in their closed position by a strut 2 mounted in a supporting frame 1.

The supporting frame 1 here shown, is made triangular in form, being removably mounted on the nozzle N. In this frame 1 is mounted the strut 2, which is here shown seat '5 formed in said valve V.

is fusible at a moderate temperature of in theform of a duplex cone. the points of which are engaged respectively with the "apex of the frame "1 and'with the valve V as shown at 3 and 4:. The point 4: which rests Onl'l1 valve is constructed of fusible material and is here shown mounted in a about 180Fahrenheit more or less.

Arranged around the fusible point i: the valve V is a 'slow burning element 6 constructed of any'suitablematerial. This element 6 is here shown in the form of an open loop and is spaced from the point 4 a sufficient distance to permit the material flowing from the melted point to spread out and thereby release the strut 2 so that when said strut drops out of the frame 1 the pressure of the water within the pipe will displace the valve V and discharge the water into the surrounding atmosphere to extinguish the fire.

A readily inflammable strip 7 is connected with the slow burning element 6 and depends therefrom into the room in which the device is mounted and may be of any desired length according to the position of the extinguisher.

When this inflammable member 7 takes fire the flame will readily spread and ignite the slow burning element 6 and generate sufficient heat to melt the fusible point 4 and release the valve V.

A wire 8 of non-fusible material is secured at one end to the pipe P as shown at 9 and has its other end secured to the loop shaped element 6, so that in case the member 7 should be ignited when there is no fire in the room, a pulling force may be exerted on the wire 8 thereby disengaging the loop shaped fusible member 6 from the sprinkler head and preventing release of the valve. When such a pull is exerted the member will drop into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and may bereplaced after the member 7 has been extinguished.

From the above description it will be obvious that this device while simple in construction and cheap to manufacture may be easily applied to a sprinkler head already in use and. that it will operate efficiently to release the sprinkler head valve for extin guishing a fire.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of This point; 4

the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are, within the scope of the claimed invention.

Having thus fully described my invention What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is a 1. The combination with a fusible locking element of a. slow burning element associated with said lockwith a readily inflammable member connected. with said element,

v and a non-fusible member fastened to said} a slow burning element to provide for the removal of said element whennecessary.

'2. Thecombination with a fusible lock; of

mit the flow of fused lock material from the PF melted fusible look.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

r JOHN W. GRONR-OS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM GRAss,

GUSTAV LINDHoLM. i 

